


Our Roads Intersect But Not Like We Thought

by Hey_Diddle_Diddle25



Series: We Are Kings [2]
Category: Iron Man - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF Howard Stark, Howard Stark Needs a Hug, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, It's A Process, Palladium Poisoning, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-08-08 08:16:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7750234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hey_Diddle_Diddle25/pseuds/Hey_Diddle_Diddle25
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Howard doesn't understand why his son seems set on destroying himself with an increase in his reckless behavior.</p><p>Tony doesn't seem to understand why Howard even cares, forcing them into a sort of normalcy they could both lose themselves in.</p><p>It all comes apart at a race in Monaco, of all places.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Our Roads Intersect But Not Like We Thought

**Author's Note:**

> So I realized in the middle of writing this that Howard would be super old (and also that I remember zero things that happened during the movie). After rewatching it I decided that Howard was young when him and Maria had Tony and that the events between movies are not quite as long a stretch. Just try not to think about it to hard and it'll probably be fine.
> 
> Enjoy.

“I am Iron Man.”

With those four simple words Howard felt a rush of pride because _that was his son_ doing something great, something right like he had always known that was what his father wanted with the company. Howard hadn’t been very successful with it, of course, but Tony was twice the man he had ever hoped of being.

Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and Tony changed more and more with each passing day and maybe it was because Tony made a point of visiting him that he hadn’t noticed at first.

 _How could he have not noticed?_ Inexcusable.

The only reason Howard had managed to pick up on the fact that something might’ve been wrong was because he knew his son and Tony might’ve always been a slight showboat but parties every night celebrating Iron Man and Stark Industries was a bit excessive. When he approached Pepper about it, she just shrugged, chewing on her bottom lip as she explained Tony’s a different man now.

It was the wrong type of different, though. It wasn’t the hero personality Howard was used to, recalling how Steve approached him about the discomfort of the constant parades and publicity, and he figured some part of Tony felt the same. He just seemed adamant in proving Howard wrong, running around every chance he got to end up on the news or in the papers or on the radio, and it felt like Iron Man was poisoning his son.

There were just better ways of broaching the subject. Howard knew that, vowed to change for the benefit of his son, but he was tired and worried and Tony’s back had been turned while he set the groceries he kept buying away in Howard’s cabinets while Howard watched concernedly from the living room.

“Steve would never have begged for attention.”

The words had been careless, stupid, but almost every channel was talking about Iron Man and his parties were plastered all over the newspaper, and Howard knew something was wrong. He just wasn’t sure _what_ yet, but he was determined to find out.

Tony tensed, his back muscles sticking out in sharp pointed edges against his grey shirt. He didn’t turn, and his hands were squeezing twin cans of chicken broth like a lifeline, and it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out Howard picked at the wrong scab. He’d just never thought before that his constant talk about one of the greatest men he’s ever known would ever upset his son, not when his intention was to give Tony someone better to look up to then an absent workaholic father.

Then Tony tilted his head to the side like he was contemplating something as he replied dryly, “I’m not Steve.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Howard protested, backtracking to the part where this had gone wrong and he realized surviving a car crash and insane power hungry godfathers weren’t enough to bring the two of them together and somehow Howard had managed to screw it up so badly that Captain America could fix it either.

Damn.

Tony paused for a long moment before he set the two cans on the counter as he returned to unpacking the endless supplies of everything Howard could ever wish to eat and then some and reassured sardonically, “I know dad. You never do.”

Familiar anger bubbled up inside Howard’s throat at the tone, but his temper died somewhere in the back of his throat because this was his son and something was wrong. Seriously wrong, not just the Starks incapability of projecting their emotions to others, and the thought of Tony going through something alone was a frightening enough thought without the addition of long sleeves and tight collars that had to swelter in the outside humidity.

“You know you can come to me for anything, right?” Howard demanded softly, gentle, as he flashed to every time he shoved Tony away since waking up in the hospital a widow.

Tony’s movements didn’t falter as he replied changing the subject, “Are you coming to the race tomorrow?”

Howard frowned, thinking to what race his son was referring to. He couldn’t even remember what day tomorrow was supposed to be, and all the television stations were filled with people hating on his son because he was going through money quicker than an arsonist with a box of matches.

But Tony sounded so hopeful, so needy all of a sudden, and he realized it was the same tone he’d used whenever he was younger and asked if Howard was taking off to go to one of his science fairs. Howard never had, already knowing Tony was going to win and there hadn’t really been a need to see his son crush other children’s dreams for him to be proud.

He realized then that it had never been about that. Tony had just wanted to do things with him, had wanted his father to show up to something that hadn’t been all about Howard Stark.

“Of course,” Howard reassured after a slight hesitation and from his kitchen Tony chuckled darkly, like he couldn’t find it in himself to believe that.

“You forgot,” Tony accused and of course Howard forgot because he’s old and spent most of his time awake worried for his self-destructing son.

Why was he the only one who saw this?

He knew he wasn’t the only person who cared about Tony. He had Pepper and Rhodes and Happy, and though they were concerned in their own ways not about anything close to this. Not with Tony trying to bury himself so far in the world’s animosity that they’d be no coming back.

“I’ll be there,” Howard repeated firm but not unkind, eyes narrowed as he stared at the back of his son and willed him to understand that he wasn’t alone and didn’t need to go through this by himself.

Tony’s head turned towards him, doubtful frown playing across his features as he continued staring at him waiting for the next part, the catch. This time Howard was determined to not let one happen because he’d failed his son enough, and he wasn’t going to let their past relationship destroy one of the few good things Howard had left.

“Okay,” Tony sighed, shoulders sagging as he returned to his task and asked over his shoulder, “Where is this race?”

“I’ll ask Pepper,” Howard brushed off, and Tony laughed airily.

It was soft and gentle and _real_ and for a moment Howard was able to convince himself that he’s overreacting. Everything was fine. Tony was fine and nothing was going to go wrong because they were both alive and working on all of this together.

That was when, of course, everything went to shit.

-:-

Tony left before midnight, shoulders looser then when they had been when he’d first arrived, and Howard drew him in a tight hug before he disappeared out into the night. His son had been almost skeletal underneath Howard’s palms, the realization keeping him awake pacing until the soft knock at his door several hours later.

He checked who it was, of course, because he wasn’t the biggest fan of being murdered at three in the morning. It was a familiar stranger, the insignia stitched over his breast pocket had Howard opening his door with a tight scowl.

“I don’t do that anymore,” Howard snapped in place of ‘ _go away_ ’ like he should’ve; he wasn’t an idiot, and it didn’t take one to not see why someone like the man before him would suddenly show up at his door.

He was tall, broad-shouldered and dressed in mostly causal apparel. Dark skin wound around well-toned muscles, black eyepatch wrapping around half the man’s bald head. Howard felt like he should know his name, but he couldn’t recall it. Not when the accident shattered most of his previous memories, leaving behind an endless puzzle. It wasn’t amnesia because that would’ve been too kind. It was worst, the doctors informing him it had to do with the injury he sustained to the part of his brain that held the memories.

In those memories he could draw out who the man worked for and why he was suddenly showing up on his doorstep.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean Mr. Stark,” the man replied smoothly, innocent, as he folded his hands behind his back and stared back at him with his one good eye expectantly.

“SHIELD,” Howard snarled through clenched teeth and tight fists, “I’m not that man anymore. I don’t work for you.”

“Of course not,” the man reassured, “My name’s Nicolas Fury, I’m here to discuss Ivan Vanko.”

The name struck a bell Howard hadn’t known existed, memories of arc reactors and betrayal flashing through his mind. Howard gasped, the memories accompanied by a sharp pain as he realized that something wasn’t quite right. He didn’t know any Ivan Vanko.

“Who is he?” Howard snapped, eyes narrowing on Fury as he tried discerning rather or not he’s actually met the man before him; he felt like he did, but the memories were unclear, blurred.

“He’s the son of Anton Vanko,” Fury explained with an air of patience that didn’t feel like it quite belonged as he added, “You two used to work together.”

“I’ve worked with a lot of people,” Howard replied, “What does this have to do with his son?”

“Anton’s dead.”

And Howard felt like he should feel something with the words, but he didn’t. He’d already managed to figure out that he hadn’t liked the man- that he had him deported because of something he did- but the memories were too deep. He couldn’t draw out what the man had done or why the news of his death didn’t draw out the human reaction of grief at the dead.

“I’m not expecting you to remember Anton,” Fury continued with a little more caution then before, “I’ve seen your medical records. It’s a miracle you survived.”

Howard’s gaze narrowed to mere slits as he grunted out, “I know.”

He’s only been told a million times since waking up in the hospital. It was a miracle, no one believing he was going to pull through except maybe Tony who’d never given up on his father even when everyone else had. Even when Howard had.

Fury gave a firm nod, and it was like a string jerked at the very back recesses of his mind as a similar image was pulled free. He was younger, of course, and perhaps a little scrappier but it was undoubtedly the same man.

“I know you, don’t I,” Howard murmured, and it didn’t come out quite like the accusation he’d wanted; evidently Tony still being the only person to draw out any real fire from him.

It still caught Fury off-guard for a split second, which was satisfying as Howard was almost certain not many people could accomplish just that, before the man’s expression smothered back to neutral as he affirmed, “Yes. We used to know each other. You are-”

“One of the founders of SHIELD. I already knew that before I opened the door,” Howard finished, the constant back and forth starting to grate on his nerves as images of the man before him flashed through his skull like a bad movie; most of the events he wasn’t entirely sure were even connected.

“Yes. Very well then,” Fury nodded, and Howard realized they might have studied every word of his medical file but they didn’t know everything; they couldn’t because it wasn’t scientific or rational, it was Tony that slowly drew most of Howard’s shattered past.

“I don’t care what you want,” Howard decided as his fingers tightened around the doorframe, “and I don’t care what you think I want. Go away and never come back.”

He went to slam the door, Fury’s hand catching it easily. He didn’t do much more than that, didn’t force himself inside and Howard figured that was solely because that without Howard SHIELD may never have been created. That because of that Howard was still technically his superior until the day he died.

“We can’t do that. The world is in very serious danger,” Fury pressed, “We have reason to believe that Vanko didn’t stop working on the arc reactor even after you sent him away, and he very likely handed it down to his son after his death.”

“What does this have to do with me?” Howard demanded, allowing Fury to push the door open once more so they were looking at each other.

“The only other person alive who has any other knowledge to this technology is-”

“ _Tony_ ,” Howard realized, followed by a sticky white rage that blinded him as he bend forward and practically snarled, “Stay away from my son. You and SHIELD aren’t allowed to touch him. Do I make myself clear?”

“That doesn’t really solve our present issue,” Fury reasoned, but Howard was done listening.

“Last I checked SHIELD had never needed a babysitter before,” Howard snapped voice dropping so it was cold enough to burn, destroy like frostbite, “Figure it out.”

He slammed the door in Fury’s face.

-:-

The race was at Monaco, an independent microstate in Europe. It ran along France’s coastline, its race one of the few things putting it on the map.

Most of the streets were blocked off because of said race and the rest were either overcrowded or backed up with nightmarish traffic. Howard observed all of this tiredly, the lack of sleep he’d gotten the night before pulling on him. His unease must have rubbed off on his driver as the man shuffled agitatedly.

Howard needed to do something besides sit there in traffic.

“Thank you but I’ve got it from here,” he decided as he climbed from the car to walk the rest of the way to the race; it wasn’t very far and it gave him the chance he wanted to stop and think about his son and everything Fury had discussed with him before Howard shut him out.

One thing was certain, he didn’t SHIELD anywhere near his kid. It didn’t belong there and Tony has enough issues without people constantly breathing down his neck, berating him at every turn. Tony didn’t need control, and Howard refused to allow anybody to even _try_ with his son.

“Mr. Stark!” Pepper’s voice called to him, drawing him from his thoughts and he turned a smile at her as he approached where she was standing.

Happy was on her other side, but Tony was absent causing Howard to frown as he glanced around in hopes of catching sight of the shorter male.

“Tony’s by his car,” Pepper answered his unasked question and her eyes were bright with her worry, “He’s got it in his head that he wants to race.”

Howard frowned because Tony had never expressed that interest when he had been younger. From the twin expressions on Happy and Pepper’s faces he realized that it was a new development, and that neither one of them really approved.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Howard reassured, eyes meeting Pepper’s as he allowed a lithe smile to form over his face.

There wasn’t really any reason to worry. Tony was smart and grown and more than capable of taking care of himself despite everyone in his life arguing otherwise. That was just because they cared, though, so Howard wouldn’t let Tony get away with too much, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know how to compromise; he was willing to give his son this.

Pepper still looked unsure, staring up at him and he knew that for the longest time she hadn’t liked him. That had been fine, he deserved most of it but every day he’s approving and she’s opened herself to that idea. Now they just had to pray that Tony didn’t get himself killed in the process.

Happy touched either of their shoulders, breaking them from their thoughts as he announced softly, “We have a room.”

They followed him through the growing crowd, winding their way through all the while Howard tried catching sight of his son but he never saw him. When they reached the room he realized why, an image of Tony beside his blue race car like a proud father. Except he neither looked proud or excited, more resolved like he was just ticking items off a bucket list he wrote when he was four.

Howard didn’t like that thought so he brushed it away like an obnoxious fly.

Several minutes later the cars were lined up as an announcer spoke in quick French. Howard tuned most of it out, never the biggest racing fan but the sight of his son sighting inside the blue car doing something besides partying sent a warmth rush through him. It didn’t matter what Tony did, Howard figured he’d find a way to be proud of him because he almost died without telling his son he loved him. Tony almost died, Howard’s last words being that he _hated_ him like he could ever hate his kid.

A gun fired, the cars zooming down the track.

Beside him Pepper was watching the television with an anxious expression on her features. Her eyes were glued to Tony’s car, eyes silently pleading for nothing to go wrong. For Tony to make it through this in one piece.

“I’ll go get you something to drink,” Howard offered squeezing her elbow and she nodded her thanks before he slipped out the room.

He was paying when he heard the explosion.

It thrummed around them, vibrating down to his core as the ground shook and the bottle of water bounced on the ground because the sound had come from behind him. From the race track where his son was still racing around.

_Oh God, please no. Not Tony. Not Tony. Not Tony._

The crowd thickened as more people pushed to see the commotion, but Howard was desperate and terrified and he couldn’t lose this. He couldn’t lose Tony.

Somehow he made it to the front in time to see his son dangling on the fence like a cornered animal, black car slamming against a dark haired man with the hood of the car. The man didn’t appear fazed, protected by the metal suit he was wearing two long ropes dangling from his arms like whips.

Tony jumped off the fence, Pepper immediately screaming at him. Tony screamed back, though considerably less heated and Howard needed to get down there. He needed to hold his son, reassure himself that everything was fine despite it feeling like the contrary.

He hadn’t even got a chance to move before the whips cracked to life, aiming for his son and- _God help them_ \- Howard recognized the tech. It was the same thing that powered Tony’s suit, kept his son from dropping over dead, and his conversation with Fury several hours ago flashed through his mind as he started back through the crowd so he could do something.

He didn’t need to bother; Tony more than capable of taking care of himself as long as Pepper was within shouting distance.

“Give me the case!” Tony screamed inside the broken car before a red suitcase looking thing landed at his feet.

Tony set his foot on top of it, one of his suits folding out and snaking up his body protectively. Howard stalled to watch in amazement as Tony wrapped himself in the whips coils so he could get close enough to rip the arc reactor from the other man’s suit, powering it down. Then Howard was moving again and most of the people had cleared the track by the time Howard made it.

“Dad. You came,” Tony gasped in surprise, and Howard nodded feeling foolish and out of place as he took in the indents on his son’s suit.

Tony could’ve died today.

If he continued on his current path he might very well still.

“What were you thinking?” Howard demanded, and it came out harsher than he’d anticipated but Tony didn’t flinch at the accusation.

“You sound like Pepper. Am I the only one who saw that man attack me?” Tony asked indigently, and he sounded so ridiculously young Howard couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped his mouth.

Tony survived. Tony was fine. Nothing else mattered.

Howard also figured him and Fury need to have a long overdue chat.

-:-

Anton Vanko was dead and now, apparently, so is his son.

It was the best news Howard’s heard all week.

-:-

On Tony’s birthday his best friend James Rhodes confiscated his suits for the military, something Tony had spent most of the time prior trying to prevent. Howard would originally be upset by that, of someone close to Tony betraying his wishes yet again, but it was James and Tony had it coming.

Self-destructing was a pretty good word for it, and it wasn’t the first time he realized something major was going on with his son but it was the one that settled something sour and sick in the pit of his stomach. His Tony, destroying his image and most of his company and Iron Man, and Howard wasn’t sure he felt comfortable blaming the sudden superhero fame.

It was also on Tony’s birthday that Howard met the new girl for the first time. She was tall with shapely legs and a body that would make preacher sin. Red hair was curled in tight ringlets, framing a gorgeous face.

She practically had SHIELD written all over her.

“Oh. Hello,” she greeted with a surprised blink as he continued staring down at her hard enough that a normal person would shuffle in discomfort; she didn’t even twitch.

He narrowed a stare on her as he demanded snappishly, “Who are you?”

“Natalie Rushman,” she replied without missing a beat, like she’d rehearsed it a million times in her head which only happened if she was lying about who she said she was.

“I don’t think so,” Howard denied with a shake of his head and cross of his arms and her eyes flashed like she was impressed as he explained curtly, “I can smell a SHIELD agent a mile away. I might not have the best memory right now, but I know SHIELD. I sacrificed most of my life to it.”

“Mr. Stark. Please,” not-Natalie protested in a reasonable tone but he didn’t want to listen to her; he wanted her as far away from his son as possible.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded instead, cutting her off.

She snapped her mouth shut like a schoolchild being chided by the principal. It was nice to know that even after all these years, after everything that’s ever happened, that he could still intimidate when he wanted. Especially considering not-Natalie would probably win in any physical confrontation.

Spy or no, though, she was still a SHIELD operative and for whatever insane reason they had their sights targeted on Tony. They wanted him and were willing to play nice to get him, though Howard suspected that have more to do with him blowing them off before he had to watch his son nearly being killed by a psychopath.

She straightened her spine as she explained, “I’m here to observe Anthony Stark.”

Howard’s frown tightened, hard lines marring his otherwise handsome features. She didn’t show any signs of distress or discomfort but he knew she could probably see where this conversation was going to end.

“I’m going to tell you what I told your boss so listen close: stay away from my son. Next time I won’t ask,” Howard growled lowly as his mind pieced together the fact that Tony’s irrational behavior could somehow be connected to the reason SHIELD was hovering obnoxiously.

Not-Natalie just tilted her head to the side as she asked innocently sweet, “Did you just ask me now?”

Howard ground the backs of his teeth together as he forced out, “Just tell Fury to stay as far away from my son,” before he moved past her to go find his drunk son and talk.

“I think you should ask your son why he’s been acting out first before you start commanding others around,” not-Natalie called from behind him, calm and collected and _right_.

Howard didn’t reply, quickening his stride as the irrational need to find his son and ensure his safety filled his very being.

-:-

Tony was unconscious by the time Howard managed to hunt him down, reeking of alcohol and terrible life choices and Howard figured it was karma for all those times Tony had to drag his sorry ass out of a bar.

“It’s going to alright now son,” Howard whispered when he finally drug Tony to his bed, covering his limb body tightly before sitting at the edge of the bed to just watch him.

Tony was fine. Tony was alive.

Howard was going to make sure it stayed that way.

-:-

One day Tony stopped visiting his apartment altogether.

Howard’s mind immediately flashed to a time where Tony hadn’t called him, couldn’t because he’d been kidnapped and tortured and nearly died alone in a cave thinking his father hated him. This time seemed worst because he knew his son was alive and within driving distance, but for whatever reason SHIELD was trying to isolate him.

Or maybe that was what Tony had always wanted, and SHIELD just offered an outlet for it. Howard couldn’t fathom why that would be the case, but he knew either way Tony needed help.

Not-Natalie just seemed to block him at every course, reassuring his son’s safety and even Fury would get involved whenever Howard really got going as he yelled at anyone who would listen. SHIELD might still respect him, but the moment he turned them away he lost whatever power he held inside it.

Howard was about to do something incredibly stupid and reckless when his phone rang and Tony’s small voice asked for help.

-:-

“Dad, this isn’t easy to say, but I’m dying.”

Howard’s world halted and abruptly ended with the words. Tony was staring back at him with such an earnest expression, face open for the first time since he outed himself as Iron Man and Howard had been right when he’d suspected Iron Man poisoning his son. He just… he hadn’t ever stopped to consider Tony might actually be _dying_.

“What? How?” Howard demanded weakly, staring up at his son like he was already dead; Tony shuffled uncomfortably as he obviously forced the words to come out in a blasé manner.

Tony reached up to tap at the arc reactor in his chest as he explained, “Palladium poisoning, and there doesn’t seem to find a safer substitute already out there.”

Without permission, because Howard’s brain was short circuiting in ways he didn’t even know it could, he reached up to press his hand against his son’s chest. The arc reactor seemed small, dwarfed by Howard’s hand, as he took it in; the thing keeping his son alive was now killing him, Howard had never been a man of irony.

He was a man of science, and this was his kid and- dammit- he wasn’t going to let Tony go before he did. Tony didn’t get to die young, leaving Howard to try and piece himself back together.

“We’ll figure this out son,” Howard reassured when he caught Tony staring and it was more than just words- it was a promise.

“I do have some ideas,” Tony nodded, the fire and will to survive thrumming through his voice and Howard smiled proudly as Tony continued moving away, “I stopped by Stark Industries because I’ve been a bit of a pompous ass lately and wanted to explain it all to Pepper, but she’s busy and I got busted by Ms. Super Spy so I was sent back here though not empty handed.”

While Tony spoke he was moving, leading them down to the workshop where Howard saw a model he knew he built. With Vanko, once upon a time, and it struck him so suddenly he missed whatever Tony said. Not that it mattered because Tony reached the part that actually mattered.

“I think I know why you built this,” Tony proclaimed confidently, “I think it might just save my life.”

Howard turned a quizzical eye towards him as he frowned and finished for both of them, “You want to invent a new element.”

It sounded more impossible outloud, and Tony made a dismissing sound with his mouth as his eyes sparkled in that rare way of his whenever he got excited about something.

“Not invent so much as engineer,” Tony relayed as he placed a hand on Howard’s shoulder and said, “I think I can do this one dad. I need to.”

Howard reached up so he was grasping his son’s hand in his as he nodded and promised, “I’m here. Whatever you need.”

Tony beamed like a child as he glanced around the tower and announced, “Prepare yourself for a remodel.”

Howard nodded his support, helping his son rip apart his home and place heavy pipes in giant holes in the wall while Tony feed wires down holes in the ceiling. It was just starting to look like a crazed mess when a man Howard didn’t recognize but Tony evidently did walked in.

“I heard you broke your perimeters,” he announced brazenly, taking in the scene before him with a critical eye.

“That was like three years ago. Where have you been?” Tony asked mockingly and the other man- one of SHIELD’s soldiers frowned back but didn’t rebuke.

Instead his eyes settled on Howard and the box of stuff he was standing beside. Howard offered a nod in greeting, which the man returned before he caught sight of something burrowed inside the box.

“Where did you get this?” the man demanded as he closed the distance, pulling out an unfinished version of Captain America’s shield; internally Howard flinched because Captain America was still a sore subject for his son and he just wanted the kid to be happy for once in his life.

Not this.

Not _dying_.

“Oh that’s just what I need,” Tony announced instead, surprising Howard as he gestured towards the man to come.

The man obeyed as he asked barely concealed excitement underlining his voice, “You know what this is?”

“Yeah. Just,” Tony picked up the pipe he’d been working on as he grunted, “slide it under the pipe. Yeah. Just like that.”

He dropped the pipe back on the shield as he lifted a level on top of it and announced to the man’s tense expression, “Perfect. Much obliged Agent Coulson.”

“Right. Well I’m afraid this is where we part ways,” Coulson concluded as Tony turned back to his work, “I’ve been reassigned to Mexico.”

“Oh the land of enchantment,” Tony interrupted and at the look Coulson and Howard threw at him he just shrugged and concluded, “So I’ve heard.”

“Yes. Well. It’s been a pleasure,” Coulson ended lamely before he turned to give Howard a parting nod which Howard returned before he made his way through the mess.

“Ditto,” Tony grunted before he glanced up at his dad and proclaimed, “I think we’re done.”

Howard felt relief settle back into him as he realized that he could finally breathe. This would work, and Tony would be fine.

“I’m just going to go talk to that agent for a second,” Howard announced, more pressing matters settling on his mind as he moved across the room to follow the path Coulson took, “You can handle this without me.”

“Yeah dad,” Tony echoed behind him before Howard was gone, rushing up the stairs so he could stop the man before he left the tower.

He just hadn’t been expecting for him to be waiting for him upstairs, with Nick Fury.

“Stark,” Nick greeted with a nod and Howard frowned at both of them, “You’re expertise is needed in Mexico.”

“I already gave you my answer,” Howard snapped, “and I told you to stay away from my son.”

“He needed us though,” Nick argued calmly, “to help him with the arc reactor.”

“Okay. Done,” Howard ground out tensely, settling in giving them that and nothing more because _Tony had been dying_ before he retorted, “That’s it. He’s not your puppet. He’s not your toy. He’s not your pet. You don’t get to snap your fingers and give him orders. There was a reason I kept him from that life.”

“Fair enough,” Fury agreed with a nod but Howard knew what was coming next before it did, “but you need to assist Agent Coulson to Mexico to check out some… anomalies.”

The backs of Howard’s teeth grinded together as he managed to get out tensely, “If I do then you leave Tony out of this. I don’t care what you think or what you know, he’s not a soldier and he’s certainly not one of your damn spies.”

“And what do you expect me to tell Tony?” Nick challenged.

Howard narrowed a glare as he shrugged and replied, “You seem like a capable man. Figure something out. Tony stays out of all of this though. That’s my condition.”

“Well Mr. Stark, you’ve got yourself a deal.”

-:-

It wasn’t until Mexico that Howard saw what had happened, on an embarrassingly small screen that faded in and out every time the wind blew and Howard had been building sturdier things when Captain America had still been a thing.

Ivan Vanko hadn’t died, and he’d nearly killed his son _again_. James had been with him this time, and Pepper, and Tony managed to come out of it in one piece which Howard was infinitely grateful for. Coulson noticed his staring at the screen, and he probably connected the dots because that was his job.

“Tony’s fine. Strong. Smart,” Coulson reassured and Howard already knew those things so he just nodded continuing staring at the destruction Vanko and Hammer had caused as the agent added, “He doesn’t play well with others, though.”

“My fault, I suppose,” Howard admitted softly, “I didn’t know how to raise a kid and a company so I chose Stark Industries. Biggest mistake of my life.”

Coulson hummed, eyes bright in thought before he glanced at his watch and gestured for him that their time here was over. They just needed gas and some water, Howard’s eyes having been drawn to the television at the mention of his son’s name.

“Let’s get this over with,” Howard grunted as he followed Coulson out of the room, and 150-something miles later they came upon a wide clearing that dipped like it’d been punctured by a great force.

What didn’t make sense was the hammer sticking out of the ground like it had been the cause. It was beautifully made, probably for war because it seemed impractical for any other reason. Beside him Coulson moved to call Nick and explain what they’d found.

Howard just stared at it, trying to figure out why it was giving him the feeling that something bigger was happening around them, and that they were all powerless to stop it.


End file.
